The dimensional stabilisation of wood using thermosetting resins relies on the resin uptake into the cell walls. This study tested if a conditioning step after the impregnation and before the final ...heat-curing enhances the cell wall uptake to improve dimensional stabilisation without increasing the chemical consumption. Small blocks of Scots pine sapwood were vacuum-impregnated with an aqueous melamine formaldehyde solution and conditioned at 33, 70, or 95 % RH for up to 1 week before drying and curing the blocks at 103 °C. However, the conditioning step decreased the cell wall bulking and the moisture exclusion effect compared to the immediate heat curing of the impregnated samples. Analyses of the resin-treated samples by scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy and confocal Raman microspectroscopy provided evidence of wood hydrolysis and polycondensation of the resin within the cell lumen during the conditioning step. Hydrolysis and removal of wood constituents may have counterbalanced the cell wall bulking of the resin. Polycondensation of the resin in the lumen increased its molecule size, which could have hindered the cell wall diffusion of the resin.
Wood is a versatile and renewable resource utilized in a wide range of applications, including tools, furniture, construction, and advanced engineering structures. However, certain inherent ...properties of wood, such as moisture and ultraviolet (UV) degradation, impose limitations on its long-term durability and dimensional stability for outdoor applications. This research investigates the weathering durability of cross-laminated timber (CLT) blocks surface-treated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles synthesized via liquid-precursor flame spray pyrolysis (FSP), directly deposited onto the surface of CLT blocks, and thereby resulting in a porous TiO2 coating. This coating endows the CLT surface with superhydrophobic properties evidenced by a water contact angle of ≥150°. Results from scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction show the coating to be comprised of crystalline, sub-100 nm individual and aggregated TiO2 particles with significant porosity. Even after an 8-week accelerated weathering test, a portion of the crystalline TiO2 particles remains on the CLT surface. The TiO2-treated CLT demonstrates enhanced resistance to discoloration and gloss change over 8-weeks of accelerated weathering conditions, which are evidenced by a total color difference (ΔE) that is 3–4 times lower than that of the untreated CLT in the initial two weeks, and 58% lower after 8 weeks of weathering. Furthermore, the TiO2-treated CLT exhibits fewer weathering defects, such as splits and cracks, than the untreated CLT. The enhanced weathering durability of the TiO2-treated CLT is attributed to reduced lignin degradation, which is supported by the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the TiO2 coating by FSP offers a viable and cost-effective method for modifying engineered wood products for improving hydrophobicity and protecting against the deteriorating effects of UV irradiation and moisture exposure.
•TiO2 nanoparticles are applied to the surface of CLT blocks by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP).•The FSP process on CLT results in a TiO2 layer consisting of sub-100 nm TiO2 nanoparticles on CLT.•TiO2-treated CLT shows enhanced resistance to discoloration and weathering defects during an 8-week accelerated weathering test.•Enhanced protection against lignin degradation is attributed to the UV-absorbing properties of TiO2 nanoparticles.
Wood is an irreplaceable structural and biodegradable material, which is subject to swelling, shrinkage, significant deformation of structural elements, and products when its moisture content ...changes. This paper proposes wood surface modification with reactive copolymers based on glycidyl methacrylate and alkyl methacrylates to impart superhydrophobic properties with initial contact angles up to 166°. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy were used to study the features of polymer coating formation and to determine the modifier penetration depth, which was more than 1000 μm. It has been shown that copolymers do not fill the initial capillary system of wood. Modified wood is characterized by stable water‐repellent properties with low‐water diffusion rates, with the water absorption rate reduced by more than three times compared to that of initial wood. Polymer coatings provide water repellency, retain the appearance of original wood, and provide increased buoyancy.
This paper describes an approach to address the issue of increasing water resistance of wood based on impregnation modification using special reactive hydrophobic copolymers. Impregnation modification preserves the original appearance and characteristics of wood, with the modifier in the near‐surface layer allows to achieve a superhydrophobic condition with initial contact angles up to 166° with long‐term water‐repellent properties
The wood-water interactions of modified beech wood (
L.) were studied. Specimens were thermally modified at 180 (TM
), 200 (TM
) and 220 °C (TM
), acetylated (Acet), and melamine formaldehyde (MF) ...resin (Mel) modified. Afterwards, the water vapour characteristics, i.e. water vapour sorption isotherms, equilibrium moisture content (EMC), dimensional stability of specimens conditioned at 30, 65 and 90% RH and liquid water characteristics, i.e. water absorption, maximum moisture content (MC), leachability and swelling kinetics, were determined and the results compared with reference (Ref) specimens. From the results, it is evident that the scale of wood-water interactions was highly dependent on the thermal modification temperature and type of chemical modification. The water vapour isotherms of thermally modified wood decreased, whereas more severe treatment exhibited more distinct reduction. The EMC values of the Mel and TM
specimens decreased only at high RH, whereas the most significant decrease, within the whole range of observation, was found in the Acet group. The maximum MC reduction was achieved by acetylation. As a consequence of swelling reduction, dimensional stability expressed as anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) was considerably improved. A relatively high initial linear-phase swelling rate was found for the Ref specimens, whereas modified wood exhibited comparatively slow and gradual swelling.
Wood is one of the most popular materials for construction purposes because of its environmentally friendly and sustainable characteristics. However, the use of wood is constrained by the lengthy ...time it takes for trees to mature. Consequently, fast-growing wood species have become popular as substitute options due to their ability to rapidly reach maturity and high yields. Although the problem of low density and strength has been effectively addressed in recent years by densifying wood, the problem of large thickness swelling due to moisture and water absorption has limited its application. Therefore, we reported an effective modification strategy to overcome the thickness swelling issue of densified wood by preparing a cellulosic reinforced material through the synergistic action of alkaline chemical pretreatment, multi-step cyclic impregnation and high-temperature densification. The results showed that the alkaline chemical pretreatment was effective for removing a large amount of lignin and hemicelluloses, creating a large number of hydrogen bonds among the remaining strong celluloses. The impregnated sodium silicate solution bonded celluloses tightly, and the densification treatment contributed to the production of Si-O-Si structure, forming the shuttle hybridized structure through Si-O-C bonds. The hardness, flexural strength, elastic modulus, and compressive strength of the modified wood increased by 3.9, 6.0, 3.4 and 28.2 times, respectively. In addition, 0 % thickness swelling for 30-day moisture absorption and 1.0 % thickness swelling for 72-hour water absorption were achieved, realizing super dimensional-stable poplar structures. Furthermore, the high-performance densified wood prepared by this method has excellent fire and mildew resistance properties, which lays the foundation for the application of fast-growing wood in outdoor engineering structures.
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•Super dimensional-stable densified wood was obtained by delignification and hot-pressing.•Cyclic impregnation with Na2SiO3 and Na2SiF6 enhanced poplar dimensional stability.•HB, MOR, MOE, and compressive strength of the modified wood significantly increased.•1.0 % thickness swelling for 72-h water absorption was achieved.•Superior fire and mildew resistances were realized by impregnation and densification.
Poor dimensional stability restricts the commercial utilization of fast-growing wood. In this study, fast-growing poplar (
) was treated by removing hemicellulose with hydrothermal treatment and ...impregnating alkali lignin via full-cell process, synergistically, for enhanced dimensional stability. After modification, hydroxyl groups were reduced in hemicellulose removed wood (DHC), alkali lignin was observed to fill in the cell lumens of vessels and wood fibers in the impregnated wood (AL) and in the wood modified by hemicellulose removal with alkali lignin impregnation (DHCAL). Compared with untreated wood, the volumetric swelling ratio of DHC and AL decreased by 11 % and 21 % under relative humidity (RH) of 89 %, respectively. The volumetric swelling ratio of DHCAL decreased by over 50 %, indicating a positive synergistic effect. The combination of hemicellulose removal and alkali lignin impregnation treatment improved the dimensional stability of wood significantly by reconstructing wood chemical components with various levels of hygroscopicity. This work could meaningfully contribute to the efficient utilization of fast-growing wood and promote the added value of industrial alkali lignin.
Wood can be considered as a highly porous, three-dimensional organic scaffold. It can be mineralized to create hierarchically structured organic-inorganic hybrid materials with novel properties. In ...the present paper, the precipitation of CaCO
mineral in Norway spruce and European beech wood has been studied by alternating impregnation with aqueous and alcoholic electrolyte solutions. Microstructural imaging by SEM and confocal Raman microscopy shows the distribution of calcite and vaterite as two CaCO
polymorphs, which are deposited deep inside the cellular structure of the wood. The confined microenvironment of the wood cell wall seems to favor a formation of vaterite, as visible by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. In view of a practical application, the mineralization of wood opens up ways for sustainable wood-based hybrid materials with a significantly improved fire resistance, as proven
pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry and cone calorimetry tests. Beyond that, this versatile solute-exchange approach provides an opportunity for the incorporation of a broad range of different mineral phases into wood for novel material property combinations.
Wood is an advantageous building material in many respects, but it is biodegradable and therefore requires protection when used in highly hazardous applications. This Special Issue on ‘Wood ...Protection and Preservation’ comprises 19 papers representing a wide range of aspects related to the field and gives timely examples of research activities that can be observed around the globe.
A common problem with fast-growing hardwoods is dimensional instability that limits use of their wood. In this study, we investigated the effects of pre-drying methods, temperatures, and heating ...duration on the specific gravity, water absorption, and dimensional stability of three tropical fast-growing hardwoods, jabon (Neolamarckia cadamba Roxb.), sengon (Falcataria moluccana Miq.), and mangium (Acacia mangium Willd.). Wood samples were pre-dried by two methods (fan and oven at 40 °C), and heat treatments were performed at three temperatures (120, 150, and 180 °C) for two different time periods (2 and 6 hours). The specific gravity, water absorption, dimensional stability, and structural changes of the samples were evaluated. The results revealed that heat treatments slightly reduced the specific gravity of all three wood species. In addition, the heat treatments reduced water absorption and significantly improved dimensional stability of the samples. Oven pre-drying followed by heat treatment at 180 °C for 6 hours resulted in good physical improvement of jabon and sengon wood. Fan pre-drying followed by heat treatment at 180 °C for 2 hours improved the physical properties of mangium wood. The heat treatment shows a promising technique for improving the physical characteristic of fast growing hardwoods. KCI Citation Count: 10
The aim of the present study is to subject Pinus elliottii wood specimens to TiO2-based modification in order to make them resistant to water and UV radiation. The microwave-assisted solvothermal ...method, which is little reported in the literature, was here in use for this purpose. The adopted methodology led to a 1 % mass gain; although it was a low value, it was enough to fully coat the surface of the wood with nanoparticles to the extent of changing its characteristics and turning it into a functional material. The nanoparticle distribution on the surface of the wood changed your natural topography by increasing the surface area and, consequently, increasing the contact angle of the modified wood (approximately 130°). The leaching test showed that the wood remained coated after it was immersed in water, as well as that it did not lose its water-repelling ability. This result demonstrates the stable interaction between the two materials, due to hydroxyl radicals found in them. The coating also protected the wood against UV radiation for 500 hours of intense exposure, besides preserving its initial color. The properties achieved through this simple and fast modification process provide an alternative to help to improve the performance of the herein investigated wood species, mainly for applications in environments subjected to high solar incidence and humidity.
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